text:
Programs and activities provide educational experiences in a variety of contexts such as informal science education settings, formal education K-12 classrooms, and public outreach events. Most activities are designed to be facilitated by an educator.
- Programs and Activities
- Short Activities
- Long Activities
- Forums
- Science Cafes
- Science theater
- K-12 Lesson Plans
Programs and Activities
The NISE Network offers a variety of programs and activities designed for small and large groups in different settings. Educational programs are a great way to introduce audiences to nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Presenters can choose a format and topic that is appropriate for their audience. Facilitated experiences foster visitor conversation and interaction, and allow educators to adjust the science content, pace, and delivery style to suit their audience.
NISE Net programs are fully documented, with complete lesson plans or activity guides, presentation materials, and other training and delivery tools. They are ready to use, and can also be easily adapted. The programs created by the NISE Network were developed through a process of prototyping, audience evaluation research, educator peer review, and in-depth partnerships with scientists. Learn more about the development process.
Available on the website:
Short Activities
Short activities are brief hands-on experiences lasting less than 15 minutes for small groups of people. They are often presented at a table, cart, or demonstration space in a variety of settings such as a museum exhibit gallery, classroom, or other public or group setting. Multiple short activities can be combined to form a longer activity.
Available on the website:
Long Activities
Long activities include workshops, labs, and lessons for student and public groups. They are typically presented in a dedicated classroom or lab space. Length of time can vary from 45 minutes for an elementary field trip or classroom program to several hours or days for labs, summer camps, and other program formats.
Available on the website:
Forums encourage audience consideration of the societal and ethical implications of science and technology topics. Older youth and adults participate in one- to two-hour facilitated discussions that promote exploration and foster dialogue and deliberation. Forums can take place in a variety of contexts, including science museums, libraries, community centers, and schools.
The promise of nanoscale science is that it will dramatically improve our lives, bringing great advances in applications as diverse as medicine, energy, electrical and chemical engineering, and materials. At the same time, nanotechnology's potential negative impacts also touch on a broad range of societal concerns—environmental pollution, toxicity, the prospects of artificial life, and privacy violations. There is a middle ground between scientific boosterism and extreme rejection of these new technologies. Open deliberation can help steer the public conversation toward this more thoughtful, considered middle ground.
Around the world, science centers are exploring new models for engaging adults and older youth in dialog and deliberation about the societal implications of technology. This democratization of public policy deliberation is a strategy for stimulating learning by both scientists and the public and for revitalizing the role of science museums in the life of the nation. These efforts lay the groundwork for an exciting new role for science centers as a bridge between scientists and the public.
NISE Network partners have worked together to research, develop, and test a variety of program models aimed at engaging adults and older youth with in-depth informal educational experiences that incorporate dialog and deliberation around societal implications of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. This team has developed a set of materials and expertise to share with the broader science museum community to build capacity in the field to engage the public in this kind of programming.
Available on the website:
- All Forums
- Public Forums Manual A guide on designing and planning forums.
- Risks, Benefits and Who Decides? This forum asks participants to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of three options.
- Energy Challenges, Nanotech Solutions? This forum places participants in the role of a governmental funding agency and asks them to consider how nanotechnology should fit into the timeline and scope of future national energy policy
- Nanomedicine in Healthcare This forum explores nanotechnology-enabled medical technologies and their potential to transform health care, while considering the societal, ethical, environmental and economic impacts of this emerging technology.
- Privacy. Civil Liberties. Nanotechnology. This forum asks participants to consider and discuss several nanotechnology application scenarios and the possible opportunities, impacts, risks, and benefits.
- Cognitive Enhancement Teen Role Play Forum: This forum plays on very real concerns and fears of students: academic performance and taking standardized tests.
- Same Sides and Let's Talk About It: This 50-minute program includes an introduction to the nano-scale science, conversation time for the participants and 2 ten-minute plays that stimulate conversation about the impact the field of nanoscale science may have on our lives. The plays have also been performed individually as part of forums.
Science Cafés
A Science Café is an event that brings scientists and the public together in an informal setting like a restaurant, pub, or coffee shop. Science Cafés are happening all over the world and have many different formats. Some are lectures with audience-guided questions and answers, some have a moderated discussion between the scientist and the audience, and some focus more on round-table discussions.
Whether you are looking for a science café near you, are interested in organizing a science café, or are just plain curious, you'll find everything you need to know about science cafés on this site: sciencecafes.org
Available on the website:
Science Cafe Guide: Guide to hosting an event that brings scientists and the public together in an informal setting.
Theater and Stage Presentations
Science theater includes theatrical plays and other scripted performances for a large group of people. Stage presentations are public programs that typically last up to 20 minutes, and are often delivered in a dedicated presentation area or stage.
Available on the website:
K-12 Lesson Plans
K-12 lesson plans for kindergarten-12th grade students include classroom activities, workshops, labs, and lessons for student groups. They are typically presented in a dedicated classroom or lab space. Length of time can vary from 45 minutes for an elementary field trip program to several hours or days for labs and longer experiences.
Available on the website:


text:
Become a fan
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Tickets
The truth hurts.
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy's birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?
Sienna Miller stars as Maggie alongside Jack O'Connell as Brick and Colm Meaney as Big Daddy. A return to the stage for director Benedict Andrews following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Tennessee Williams' searing, poetic story of a family's fight for survival is a modern masterpiece.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
California Churches Teach History and Invite Prayer
Golden State's Religious Sites, Part 2
The following is part two of a profile of just a handful of the many beautiful churches California has to offer (Part 1).
Church of the Nativity
Nativity is a pretty, historic little church built in the New England style. It is part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in Menlo Park. It began as a mission church in 1872 and became a parish in 1877. The first church was enlarged and modified and officially dedicated in 1888. Other elements were added through the years, including an impressive rose stained-glass window in 1900. Fortunately, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake did little damage to the church (while wrecking the rectory!).
The church is built in the cruciform style and made of redwood, all in white. Its many impressive features include beautiful stained-glass windows and hand-carved side altars; it is surrounded by attractive landscaping, including palm and oak trees. It was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1981. This place of prayer offers Eucharistic adoration 24-7.
Holy Rosary Chapel
Holy Rosary is located north of San Francisco, off the 101 freeway in San Raphael. The chapel is on the grounds of the St. Vincent's School for Boys, which was founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1855. St. Vincent's was a home for orphaned and neglected youth and operated under the auspices of Joseph Alemany, the first archbishop of San Francisco. The chapel was one of a group of Renaissance-style buildings built in the 1920s by the director of St. Vincent's, Father Francis McElroy.
Today, St. Vincent's is part of Catholic Charities and serves at-risk boys from abusive and troubled backgrounds. The chapel — or church, because it is the size of a regular parish church — is beautiful inside and out. Special elements include 15 magnificent stained-glass windows, which feature Bible stories that appeal to youth (remember, it was built in the days when St. Vincent's was an orphanage). The colors are bright and vibrant; make a point to go when the sun is shining brightly. There are some nice statues, including of St. Isabel, Mary and Joseph, the Little Flower and Jesus welcoming a little child. The altar and sanctuary are marble; the concrete ceiling appears to be made of wood and matches the floor below. The chapel is modeled after a Tuscany seminary and has an Italian feel.
Take a walk on the beautiful grounds afterward. They are green and lush, with horses and cows in pastures. Visit the old orphanage buildings and see the courtyards and ball fields as well. In decades past, the priests and nuns of St. Vincent's set many orphaned boys on the path to become virtuous, productive citizens here.
Old Mission San Juan Bautista
Mission San Juan Bautista was founded by Father Fermin de Lasuen, successor to Blessed Junipero Serra, in 1797. It is the 15th of California's 21 Spanish missions. Work began on the church in 1803; it was dedicated in 1812. It has been in continuous use since then. It is the widest of the mission churches and the largest of the California missions.
Other buildings on the grounds include a barracks, convent and the Jose Castro House, which are located around a large grassy plaza. There is also a historic cemetery containing the remains of 4,000 Indians and Europeans.
The mission was prominently featured in the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock/Jimmy Stewart movie Vertigo, although the bell tower that is part of the plot is a Hollywood creation. (But you can still see the carriage and mannequin horse featured when Jimmy Stewart talks with Kim Novak in the film.)
St. John's Cathedral
St. John's is a historic church, established in 1882, located in the historic district of Fresno. It is the city's first parish, which started with a modest five Catholic families; the current church was completed in 1903.
It's a beautiful church, with twin spires on the outside and fabulous artwork inside. There are many beautiful paintings, frescoes and stained glass, as well as a traditional altar.
St. Andrew's Church
St. Andrew's just celebrated its 125th anniversary. The parish was founded in 1886, the same year of the first Tournament of Roses Parade and incorporation of Pasadena as a city. The church was completed in 1927. The
Pasadena area has many beautiful old churches, but this perhaps is the most impressive.
Located in old town Pasadena, it is a Byzantine-style structure modeled after the Basilica of St. Sabina in Rome. Its sanctuary contains magnificent murals created by Italian painter Carlo Wostry; there are also impressive marble columns, statues and stained-glass windows. The interior artwork took eight years to complete. It also has a Romanesque campanile bell tower visible for miles around, and its bells can be heard tolling regularly. It truly is a Pasadena landmark.
Shrine of St. Joseph
The shrine just celebrated the 60th anniversary of its 1951 groundbreaking; the first Mass was celebrated in the chapel in 1952. The chapel is a place of devotion for the Oblate community and visitors. It features many fine pieces of religious art, the highlight of which is a six-by-eight-foot carving of St. Joseph with Mary and Jesus. There is also an art exhibit dedicated to St. Joseph, featuring scenes from his life, and a bookstore featuring a variety of religious literature.
Take a walk down to the beach afterward, as you'll be looking out onto beautiful Monterey Bay.
Sacred Heart Chapel
The Sacred Heart Retreat House is located in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, alongside the upscale neighborhood of San Marino. It is operated by the Carmelite sisters, who wear the traditional habit. They are orthodox, cheerful and welcoming.
The retreat house offers overnight and weekend retreats as well as days and evenings of recollection. Most retreats are for women. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with many statues and places for outdoor prayer and reflection. The chapel has a beautiful interior. Visitors can purchase religious items at the gift shop. Visitors are welcome to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament at any time during the week.
Jim Graves writes from
Newport Beach, California.
Planning Your Visit
Church of the Nativity
210 Oak Grove Ave.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Holy Rosary Chapel
One St. Vincent Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94913
Old Mission San Juan Bautista
406 Second St.
San Juan Bautista, CA 95045
Visit the gift shop to purchase mission-related and religious items or for tourist information. The historic grounds are open daily 9:30am-4:30pm; cost is $4 adults, $3 seniors and $2 children. Gift shop and tour information: (831) 623-4528.
St. John's Cathedral
2814 Mariposa St.
Fresno, CA 93721
St. Andrew's Church
311 N. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103
Shrine of St. Joseph, Santa Cruz
544 West Cliff Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The bookstore is open 11:30am-2pm; the chapel is open 7am to sunset. The facilities can be rented by religious groups, so there might be a retreat or conference going on during your visit. Mass is at 11am daily; confessions are 30 minutes before Mass.
Sacred Heart Chapel, Sacred Heart Retreat House
920 E. Alhambra Rd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
Visitors are requested to stop by the front office for a visitor's badge. Sunday Mass is usually at 11:30am, and the public is welcome to attend.
- Keywords:
- April 22-May 5, 2012


text:
The garden is growing at a steady pace. Though it has been a dry summer the constant watering (ackkk the watering) and the humidity have created some sizable plants. We are about to bust open with tomatoes as the plants are heavy with fruit but are taking painstaking time to turn red. It's a slow crawl to harvest then boom it happens and then summer quickly winds down. I'm trying to be careful what I wish for as I am enjoying these summer days and am in no hurry for a change.
This year we tried potato boxes, as the plants grow in height, wood and soil are added. Little did I know the plants would grow so fast, I am behind the adding wood and soil part. After 50-60 days of growth the bottom boards are removed and potatoes are dug out. As time passes more boards are removed and more potatoes dug out. I'm still not sure about this system but if it is successful I'll probably talk about it again in the future. We have a short growing season this far north, I imagine this system would be great a couple zones to the south.
The zucchini and summer squash are making up for last year when I got two measly zucchinis. We eat a lot of these and it was painful last year to have to buy them after I had hauled a zillion gallons of water. Sweet victory this year in the form of zucchini breads and cakes :)
Sweet corn is hard to grow here, but oh the rewards of a fresh piece of corn! Though it is definitely easier to get some from the farm stand there are few more satisfying garden fares than picking your own corn and steaming it for dinner.
To save space we are using a couple large triangular frames. The lower one for cucumbers to grow atop while beets and radishes grow beneath. The taller one is for green beans to climb while kale, spinach and swiss chard grow underneath.
Clover and Mabel grew so fast out of their brooder. I am hoping they think I am their mother, they are still so fun to hold and cuddle. Their quacks are still babyish soft squeaks. Unlike the loud QUACKS their parents do. Their dad Frank below is so loud and always following me to see what I am doing then has to announce it to the whole neighborhood.
Outside the garden fence we are having a banner year for wild raspberries. Every chore outside calls for a break along the property edges eating berries.
The youngest is officially too big for me to ride my bike with. I imagine the trips my husband takes with him are numbered as well. It is so hard to see your baby grow up!
The flower beds are hanging in there. The japanese beetles have liked my zinnias this year, and the delphiniums were short lived. I am hoping for a speedy recovery as I can't imagine August without cutting zinnias for the house. Fingers crossed...
Thanks for visiting my garden!


text:
9A Plus/ 10A Peruvian 2 Bundles Kinky Curly Hair Extension With 13x4 Lace Frontal
2 sold in last 8 hours
In stock
$500.98 $84.72
customers are viewing this product
9A Plus/ 10A Peruvian 2 Bundles Kinky Curly Hair Extension With 13x4 Lace Frontal
|Human Hair Type
|Peruvian Hair
|Hair Texture
|Kinky Curly Hair
|Color Type
|Natural Color
|Lace Size&Type
|13x4 Frontal
|Lace Density
|Hair Weft
|Double Machine Weft
|Hair Weight
|95-100g/pc+40-60g closure
|Hair Length
|2 Bundles+1 Closure
The order will be processed within 24 hours once the payment is verified.
Normal shipping time to the US is 5-7 Working days.
The package is usually shipped out via FedEx or DHL or UPS.
All the packages will be shipped from Chinese warehouse .
All the packages are Free shipping.
Items must be returned in original state, unused condition and re-sellable.
We guarantee money back on all acceptable returns.
Return and exchange are available in 30 days after you received.


text:
"Wait! I Don't Want To Die After All!"
I've been thinking about writing a book to help people dealing with end-of-life situations. Between the deaths of my wife and my parents and other family members, I've been through enough of them that I've had to think hard about the spiritual, moral, and evangelistic aspects of these situations.
If I am able to write such a book, one aspect that I will definitely cover is the need for humility and caution in assessing the sick person's will to live.
Very frequently these days people end up in situations where they cannot speak for themselves and clearly communicate what kind of care they want or whether they even want care. In such situations, family members are typically consulted, and this can cause a rift inside the family as they try to figure out what their loved one would want.
This is one of the most painful kinds of conversations for family members to have, and it if goes the wrong way, it can permanently injure relations in the family. "You killed Dad!" or "You wouldn't let Mom die with dignity!" are things that can haunt families for years after the event, permanently turning people against each other. (I am very thankful to say, however, that my own family was able to get through the difficult days without such damage being done—and in spite of the fact that I'm the only Catholic in my immediate family.)
Sooner or later the "Do you want to pull the plug?" question is going to be presented to virtually every family, and it's good to be prepared for it.
In some cases the patient may have left explicit instructions, but often not. Sometimes family members will remember (or think they remember) things the patient said in conversation about what they would want if something terrible happened. Other times they won't have such memories and will simply rely on their feeling of what the loved one would want.
Regardless of which of these is the case, there is reason for great caution here. The stakes are, after all, life and death.
But there is another reason for caution: None of these things—from explicit written instructions to the vague feeling of what someone would want—is a good indicator of what they actually would want now that they are in the situation.
Certainly, pre-written instructions are a better indicator than a gut feeling assessed in a moment of crisis. If someone has taken the trouble to write instructions in advance then those instructions are more likely to reflect the settled views of person in question. But the thing is . . . views change. Particularly when we're put in a dramatically different life situation.
There is also a danger of the loved ones, without fully realizing it, simply taking the easy way out—regardless of what that easy way is for them.
For some people the easy way would be for the loved one not to want to continue treatment. Under the pressure of watching a loved one dying they are emotionally worn out and in pain and they are ready for it to be over. It's not that they want their loved one to die. But they can't stand seeing the loved one suffer and want the mutual agony to be done with.
This is a human response.
But it poses a danger of leading the relative to believe what is convenient rather than what is true. In this case what is convenient would be for the loved one to want to discontinue treatment, and so the relative starts feeling certain that the loved one would never want to live this way. That would be preposterous. Of course they would just want to let go and die in peace.
And if there are a few dimly-remembered conversations that might support this view then they will be taken as proof positive. There even might be a little exaggeration used to help convince doubtful relatives who are also being consulted.
But even if that isn't the case. Even if the person clearly expressed a preference, that preference may no longer apply.
A good illustration of that is the case of the British man in this news story from July:
Richard Rudd was paralyzed and brain damaged after being injured in a motorcycle accident last October and suffering subsequent medical complications. Treated in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England his family thought they knew he would not want to live.
"We said that knowing Richard, there was no way in a million years that he would want to live with his injuries," his father told the Daily Telegraph. Rudd had told his daughter that if he suffered a severe injury in an accident like a car crash, he "wouldn't want to go on," Rudd's father reported.
Rudd's father gave permission for treatment to be withdrawn. As hospital staff gathered around Rudd's bed, they noticed he was able to blink his eyes for the first time in several weeks.
The doctors asked Rudd three times whether he wanted to continue to live. He blinked "yes" in reply to each of their three questions.
Rudd was lucky, to say the least. No doubt there are vast numbers of people who aren't.
But his case is illustrative of the fact that someone—when feeling able and healthy—could decide that they don't want to live if it means the kind of existence Rudd is facing, yet when they're actually in that situation they decide that they do want to live after all.
Rudd's case is thus a valuable cautionary tale: We must recognize that past statements are not a good guide to what someone would actually want in this kind of situation. And especially we must not allow ourselves to believe what is convenient for us—the relatives— and what will help ease our own suffering.
This goes both ways, though.
Just as a person can change his mind about wanting to die, so he can change his mind about wanting to live.
There may be—and no doubt are—many people who when healthy and active think, "I'd want them to do everything to keep me alive, no matter what shape I'm in." Yet, when they get down to the end of live, they may change their mind and say, "You know, I'm ready to go. I'm ready for this suffering to be over."
In the same way, if they can't speak for themselves, their relatives may make the same mistake of believing what is convenient rather than what is true. There are people—not as many as their used to be given our society's growing death ethic—for whom the easy thing would be to keep the loved one alive as long as possible, for any number of reasons. They may find themselves thinking, "Of course this person would want to live! They would want everything done to keep them alive!" And perhaps the person even said this in the past, though now the person would say differently.
The point is that people's minds can change and that we must cross examine our feelings when we are being asked these questions. We must make sure we are not just choosing what is easy and convenient for us to believer rather than focusing on what is true.
I'm afraid that I don't have a magic solution, here. I wish I did!
Obviously, committing an immoral procedure—such as deliberately killing the patient or withholding nutrition and hydration that they would be capable of assimilating—is off the table. And, if the patient can't speak for himself then previously written instructions are the best available guide, followed by clear memories of what the patient said, followed by fuzzy ones, followed by gut instincts. And the default should be in favor of preserving life.
But there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the question of when to end treatment. All too often a judgment call is involved.
The case of Mr. Rudd from England highlights the fact that people's opinions can change and that we need to be cautious—and prayerful—in making these decisions.
What are your thoughts?


text:
Never satisfied with the décor of your most private space-your bedroom? But you cannot afford to splurge on the décor; your savings hold you back. So try to revamp your bedroom on a budget. Do it yourself updates! First and foremost, get rid of the clutter. Don't keep anything in the room that gives you stress.
Here are a few ways to spruce up your bedroom:-
Make the room come to life- You do not need to spend a lot of money for this. First, check out the wall paint. If it really needs a makeover, go for some vibrant wallpaper on one wall. This will give a new look to your room and will also create a focal point.
Change the configuration- You are used to see the bed, chair, table, etc. at the same place for years. It's time to change the setup. Shift the furniture and add new life to the familiar quarters.
Change your drapes- The old duvet, drapes and curtains etc. also become an eyesore after sometime.Spruce up your bedding bring in a new duvet or a comforter. If you find the current décor boring, go from modern to classic, primary to pastel or go in for girly frills and fancies. This does not take time and falls within your budget.


text:
Hayes Barton Baptist Church is a caring, dynamic, and growing community of faith located in the historic Five Points area of Raleigh NC, just north of downtown.
We believe that the worship of God is central to our lives as believers, and our congregation proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all of our worship services. As an inclusive faith community, we welcome and encourage active participation from people of all walks of life, wherever they happen to be on their faith journey.
We hope you will join us in worship by attending a Sunday Worship service, a Wednesday Family Night service, one of our ministries, or live on local television at 11:00 a.m. Sundays on Fox 50.
We invite you to explore our site to learn more about who we are, what we believe, our mission, our history, and much more.
In addition to the live broadcast of our Sunday worship services on FOX 50, we are also pleased to provide streaming video of our Sunday worship services online. Click the "Watch Online" button to the right to tune in, and don't forget to fill out our Online Friendship Pad!
We would also love to have you join us in person on Sunday morning at HBBC.
Hayes Barton is a missions-focused church, and we are proud to engage in a wide variety of missions locally, nationally, and internationally. All Christians are missionaries, called to extend the gospel of Jesus Christ to evryone everywhere, so we support our members using their God-given gifts and abilities to touch the lives of as many people as possible.
We encourage you to learn more about missions at HBBC and to browse our current mission opportunities by clicking the button below.
Copyright © 2020 | All Rights Reserved | Hayes Barton Baptist Church


text:
Want to add even more convenience and cost savings? Enrollment in our Smart Ship Program will take the worry out of remembering to order more product before you run out AND will give you great cost savings and FREE SHIPPING as well. As a member of this program, MedixSelect.com will automatically process your renewal orders and automatically ship them to your address of record. Look for the Smart Ship Program option on each products order page or call 800-500-HEALTH (800-500-4325) to enroll or change your Smart Ship Program options.
Copyright 2019 Medix Health LLC and MedixSelect.com
All rights reserved
Free Health Alerts | Returns | Shipping | Articles | Privacy | Terms | Contact | Site Map
Medix Health®


text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Paul D Brazill' tag.
Tag Archive
September Challenge Winners!
October 27, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: Adnan AlBaroudi, bahrain, Bahrain writers, Bahrain Writers Circle, building site, BWC, Children are crying, circle, creative writers, creative writing, Maeve Skinner, Missing, Paul D Brazill, Rebecca Young, Stalker, stories, thriller | 5 comments
The challenge for September, was to create a thriller based in Bahrain with a word count of 800 to 1200 words. We encouraged lots of atmosphere, shadows and whispers, screams and deadly silences and that good old staple – the chase!
Our judge was the well known writer Paul D Brazill. He is the author of the black comedies Guns Of Brixton and Gumshoe, as well as Roman Dalton- Werewolf PI and The Noir World Of Luke Case, a noir romp which takes place in various cities throughout Europe – Warsaw, Madrid, Granada, Toulouse & Cambridge. His stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies, including The Mammoth Book Of Best British Crime 8 and 10 – alongside the likes of Lee Child, Ian Rankin and Neil Gaiman.
Paul's overall comments were very encouraging. He said, the entries were, "A particularly good selection of stories. All the writers followed the guidelines and used the word count really well. I felt that all the stories would only benefit from being longer." This is such an endorsement for our writers and as I've been saying a unique opportunity to get feedback at this level.
All the entrants received a general overall comment which was both encouraging and helpful.
In First Place we have Rebecca Young
Congratulations! Rebecca you are a second time winner!
We're holding the story back as Rebecca is working on it, to hopefully send it in to one of the magazines that Paul has suggested.
In Second Place we have Adnan Al-Baroudi
Congratulations Adnan! This is a first-time entry and you've done very well, we look forward to other stories.
"You must hurry, Markus." The distant voice called from behind the walls. "The children are crying, and the flood waters continue to rise."
This voice – this mysterious entity has been speaking to me ever since I entered this god-forsaken tomb. I should've stayed at the campsite. I should've never come here. I've had a terrible feeling about this place ever since I arrived here, and truth be told, I was given warnings aplenty, but the strange invitation letter from my old friend Commodore Theodore Barnabus, who was extremely adamant on inviting me here without giving away any details about the purpose of the invitation intrigued me.
There was something else beyond natural that was residing beneath the earth that they were beginning to discover, and they seemed quite convinced that it was behind a series of unfortunate episodes that had put a kink into some of their operations. Theodore explained that the colonists did not want to openly admit it, but he could read the concerned looks they quietly exchanged with each other and understood as well as they did that they must have stirred a dormant evil. I was only an archeologist and doctor of human psychology, so why else invite me?
This was supposed to be a brief visit. My study was supposed to proceed back in my mansion in Luxembourg. The only instruments I brought with me was equipment to measure small samples of rock and soil, a recorder, a dated map of the island and some assorted reads about the history and relevant commentary on this region. However, the exit is sealed. I am now isolated from my camp inside the earthly caverns beneath the soil and all I'm left with is my journal and this useless lantern that doesn't illuminate anything but my trembling hand. The air here is dank, and I'm reminded of the scent of death everywhere I turn. There are carvings down here in an ancient hieroglyphic language I do not recognize, and chillingly detailed symbols too graphic for me to describe. Whatever made these was a sinister being, and I am left to wonder if the voice speaking to me somehow bares some answers to a lot of these … inscribed memories.
There is a history here lying dormant. I've seen my fair share of paranormal activities in the past. The caves of North Africa come to mind; the forests of Manchuria, and that one incident in the Southern Islands of Indonesia – but this place feels completely different.
I did some of my investigation as soon as I arrived on the shores of Manama. The fort construction was proceeding on schedule, and other than the occasional dissent everything was progressing with absolute normalcy. That was until one night when the tide moved in a little closer than people had anticipated, and with it an ancient stone seal beneath the sand collapsed only a few miles from the fort's location, what nobody realized was that the doorway behind this seal belonged to a large burial mound that had been buried beneath the sand for over four thousand years. No one had noticed it before. No one cared to ask. No one dared to approach it, and so it was ignored.
Until some weeks went by and night fell over the labor camps near the construction site people reported a loud and terrifying scream. The scream sounded like a child. And this was strange, because there are no children in the camp. The next morning a labor worker went missing.
This cycle repeated itself every single day afterwards, while other accidents began to arise. One incident saw three laborers dead of dreadful incinerations following a fire the night before. In another incident two soldiers were found drowned off shore with their feet chained to a heavy weight, once again there was no explanation for it. Work was getting disrupted due to what people described were strange ghost sightings, and it wasn't long before things began to turn very sour. These sightings escalated to the point when laborers reported a gunshot, and the soldier in question was found the next morning huddling in a corner and quivering in terror over the limp corpse of his comrade. When asked what had happened he offered no sensible explanation.
The soldier was executed, as per protocol, but I was finally allowed to view the reports and was chilled at what he described. He simply said: "I did it for the children. He needed me to save the children." And when asked who was 'he' the soldier only said: "A voice."
Command eventually had to issue strict orders to restore some measure of order, among them were that there would be no mention of ghosts, and any such mention would result in harsh punishment. This of course did little to perturb chaos, because the very same day those orders were barked out almost twenty laborers that night had suffocated in their beds.
I'm left to wonder if perhaps it was this same voice the soldier mentioned that was accompanying me through these dark tunnels. He had a sound that I could only describe as alarmingly mechanical, and lacking any morsel of remorse, and yet there was an urgent weight to his tone. Each time he called me by name I felt as though I was listening to an old friend, as though he was expecting me.
I had barely slept the first night in the small camp I established beside the burial mounds before I heard the scream of a small child. I woke to feel the familiar crawls prickling up my spine and recognized that there would be no sleep tonight. Gathering what courage I could muster, I stepped out from my camp armed only with a lantern. In the silent approach to the burial mound my boots crunched over the sand and the distant sea crashed against the shore.
"You should hurry, Markus," the voice invited me. "The children are crying."
In Third Place we have Maeve Skinner
Congratulations Maeve! This is a first-time entry and you've done very well, we look forward to other stories.
Ben was playing hide and seek in the food aisles of Al Osra.
I was in a hurry. 'Bennnn, Mummy has to go – now,' I called again.
Still no sign of his little body racing to hurl himself against my legs. The assistants hadn't seen him for a few moments. My frustration replaced by a flutter of realization. He wasn't in the shop. Glanced towards the car park and saw him. He held the hand of a woman I'd never seen before, walking away from the store.
'What are you doing with my son!' I shouted at the stranger and swept Ben into my arms. 'Buwds', he pointed towards the aviary.
'Where were you taking him?' I shouted at the stranger.
'What's the problem,' she looked surprised. 'I was leaving the store when this beautiful boy appeared at my side. He pointed outside, I assumed he was following his mother. He pulled me towards the aviary. Why did you leave your son to wander off alone?'
I glared. Embarrassed. 'I apologize. Thank you for looking after my son.' I turned to leave.
She peered closely. 'Are you Ruth Martin?'
'Yes. But we haven't met…'
'We have. Almost three years ago when our babies were born in Awali Hospital. I'm Anna McCann. Don't you remember me? We were in the same antenatal class but we moved to Dubai shortly after.'
'No, I'm sorry.' I studied her. Nondescript features, doughy complexion, tired eyes and lank, loose hair.
'So many of that group left Bahrain after you'd had your babies. What did you have?
'A boy, his name was Anthony.'
Was! The word hung between us. The look in her eye was disturbing.
'He died a year ago, on his second birthday. He would have been three on 22nd. Like Ben.'
'I'm so sorry…'
'It's alright. I go through this more times than you can imagine. I usually deny having a child. But when Ben appeared ….'
Fortunately Ben chose that moment to break the tension. 'Go car, Mummy,' he tugged my arm. His face flushed with heat.
'Sorry Anna, I have to go.' Damn. My third Sorry to this disturbing woman.
'We must meet up. We've recently moved to Amwaj and I don't know many people. Give me your number and I'll give you a missed call. Perhaps we could meet for coffee.'
Reluctantly I reeled off my number, tempted to give a wrong digit but Amwaj was too small. I'd bump into her anyway.
I put Ben into his baby seat and reversed out. Anna stood unmoving, watching us. I waved. She didn't wave back.
The first call came three days later. 'Please come to tea and biscuits with Ben.' Against my will I agreed. I felt sorry for her. Guilt I suppose.
Anna lived in Zawia 1, overlooking the Lagoon.
'This is Anthony's room. I've kept it as it would be, if he was alive.'
My blood ran cold as she showed me the car shaped bed. Bookshelves filled with neatly stacked books and games. A child's desk and chair. A cupboard filled with clothes to fit Ben's size. She must have brought all this stuff recently.
'I cant accept that he's gone,' she explained. 'An accident in a building site. He wandered off and entered an empty building and fell down a lift shaft.'
Too terrible to contemplate. Anna had a breakdown and was still under medication.
Anna continued to find excuses to meet . I agreed, even inviting her to our house on Tala. Her sadness hung like a shroud fuelling my unwarranted guilt. She clung to Ben, tempting him with gifts from Anthony's hoard. He wriggled away, guided by a sixth sense.
Anna became my Stalker: At the supermarket. Out walking. On the beach. 'Just passing by.'
Things reached a climax. One day I returned to the house and found her in Ben's bedroom. Sitting on his bed reading from one of 'Anthony's' books.
'What are you doing here?' I yelled hysterically.
'I rang the doorbell but no answer. Saw Ben crying at the window. I pushed the door and Darling Ben let me in. He handed me one of Anthony's books – how could I refuse?'
'That's a lie!' I shouted. I called for Carmel, my housegirl. 'Did you hear the doorbell. Did you let this woman in?'
'No Ma'am. I was outside hanging washing, door not locked. I didn't see lady.'
I was furious. 'Ben doesn't like anyone to read to him except for John and me.'
'Perhaps he likes my voice,' she said unsmiling. 'Anthony loved me reading to him. I've brought more of his books for Ben. He was really enjoying this story, weren't you my darling.' A shiver ran up my spine as she cuddled my son and kissed his head.
'Get out. Don't ever come into my house again.' Quick as a flash, Anna gave Ben another kiss. I'll see you again,' she whispered and left.
What happened to Anthony? I checked the web for Emirati newspapers of a year ago. There it was. Mystery of English toddler found dead on building site. Workmen had seen a woman and child on a balcony. The child standing on the edge. The woman seemed to reach for him but he fell to his death. She was arrested but released into psychiatric care. An icy hand clutched my heart.
The day before Ben's 3rd birthday I had a splitting headache. I dozed in bed, Ben playing in his room nearby. Carmel ironing in the kitchen. I heard Ben giggle. Smiled to myself; such a happy child. Then silence. Too quiet. I jumped up; Ben's room was empty.
'Where is he Carmel?'
'Didn't see him Ma'am.'
Heard shouting from crowd gathered at building site across wasteground. Yelling and pointing upwards. Small figure standing in open lift, six floors up. It was Ben. 'How did he get there?' Then I saw Anna behind him.
My winged feet raced across the sand. I screamed helplessly. The foreman assessed the situation. Sent a group up the stairs, stationing one at each floor where the lift stopped. The crane driver dispatched a worker to perch on the end of the wire and slowly manoeuvred it to swing towards the lift.
'Mummeee, Mummeee,' Ben crying for me. Heartbroken, I stood frozen and helpless. Watched in horror as Anna, arm outstretched, stepped nearer to Ben. As she closed in, Ben stepped forward, towards the edge.
'Come to me!' Anna's shriek floated down. She pressed a button and the lift shook and moved higher. A collective roar rose from the crowd.
'He's mine,' her screams echoed around the empty building. The cab driver re-positioned his crane. The wire now hung close to Ben. His fearful cries tore me to shreds. A young man stood up on his precarious perch. His arm swept out and grabbed my son to safety.
An inhuman howl of anguish rent the air: 'Anthony why didn't you come to me when I called,' Anna screeched as her body spiralled down to her death.


text:
Filter By:
$109.99 - $159.99
For "fun on one," look to Sun's Classic Unicycle. The steel frame sports a classic unicrown design and is built for excellent strength and reliability. Plus, the wheel spins on sealed bearings for durability, while the quick-release seatpost makes seat adjustments a snap. And speaking of seats, the Classic's offers top-notch comfort, balance, and bumpers to protect it, too.
$139.99 - $149.99
If you're looking for some fun on one wheel, then Sun's Flat Top Classic Unicycle is just the ticket. The steel frame is tough and reliable, while the aluminum rim and grippy tire make for effortless pedaling. Plus, the wheel spins on durable sealed bearings, and the quick-release seatpost makes adjustments a snap.
$219.99 - $239.99
For total "fun on one," Sun's Flat Top Extreme Unicycle is the way to go. This fun ride sports a chromoly frame, a bomb-proof ISIS spindle hub, and aluminum crank arms for maximum stiffness and impact-resistance. The seat has a built-in grab bar for extra control in tight spots. This lightweight, extra-responsive unicycle will entertain you for years to come and help develop your one-wheeled skills!
Sun's XL Unicycle rolls over almost anything thanks to a sturdy frame and an extra-large 4.25-inch-wide tire. Plus, it boasts a lightweight aluminum rim and plush unicycle saddle, which features a handle that lets you drop, jump and ride over stuff that challenges even two-wheeled cyclists.
There's nothing better than the look on the two-wheelers' and hikers' faces when you come rolling down the trail on Sun's Flat Top Off-Road Unicycle. This uni is fully capable with a tough, light aluminum frame, cranks and heavy-duty mountain pedals. Uncharted territory is easy to explore with its burly triple-wall aluminum rim wrapped with a Kenda Kinetics knobby underneath you, too.
Page 1 of 1


text:
Donald Trump isn't firing "The Celebrity Apprentice," but he's bringing back the regular edition of the show with 14 ordinary candidates plagued by the sour job market.
NBC and Trump said Wednesday they want to put America back to work. His revived ordinary-folks "Apprentice" will recruit competitors who have lost their jobs, are stuck with jobs they don't like, or have finished college with no offers in sight.
Trump says the winner will land a position with him, while the rest will get advice on how to find their dream jobs elsewhere.
"The Apprentice" first aired in 2004 and is expected to return in its refreshed edition this fall on NBC.
The current season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" had its premiere Sunday and is expected back for another run in spring 2011.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Stars, The Fashion, The Models & More At The Met's 2009 Costume Institute Gala
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Apprentice Season 1
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Donald Trump - Celebrity Apprentice - Reality TV - NBC


text:
AH! So you just published your book! You are looking for reviews? Need some help to spread the word across social media?
Yeah, me too! Join me as I explore ideas, thrash out concerns and observations, and look into new ways to push a burgeoning, and profitable, social traffic.
I am Virginia, the editor and publisher of historical author and grandfather, Patrick John "Stanley McShane" Rose. Like he, I'm short of time and money. Professing to be a "sailor, prospector, miner, and cowpoke," he had a lifetime of experiences to write about, which the scalawag did in the late 20s/early 1930s.
McShane left me a trunk full of his manuscripts, short stories, poems, and paintings for publication, in eloquent Victorian-style hand-written instructions. Back then, they didn't have self-publishing available. I published "Cocos Island Treasure" first. Please see my book page for a complete list of the six books, descriptions, and links for purchase. Talk about a learning curve! Self-published means you will probably spend more time in marketing and promotion than creating the plot, researching, re-writing, and editing than writing the original novel. (Then opens Pandora's box!)
The push for sales includes begging for reviews. And now with the advent of social media, comes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Linked In, book trailers, and blogs–the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Grandpa–you owe me–Big Time!
If I'm not writing articles, I'm reading or reviewing for you! Please read my Submission Guideline page for information on how to submit your review request. I post my reviews on Amazon as well as Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and I am a member of NetGalley. My posts are linked to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
I participate in book tour reviews and book spotlights for Great Escapes Book Tours, Sage's Blog Tours, and a number of other blog tour operators sharing spotlights, book blitzes, cover reveals, and reviews.
I love comments, ideas, sharing, and followers! And I want to hear your experiences as you struggle on the same path. Contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com. (But please remember my name is not Stanley–I'm Virginia.) Better yet–follow this blog and let's share what we've learned!


text:
Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss says she thinks her boss has 10 - 15 years of touring left in him.
Strauss was asked during a recent appearance on Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon whether she has a plan for when Cooper decides to hang it up.
The guitarist, who tends to keep pretty busy, said she doesn't see retirement in the iconic shock rocker's near future. There's a chance they'll retire around the same time!
"I think Alice has plenty of career in front of him to keep him busy for a nice long time," she said. "I'm 31, and maybe in 15 years, when I'm 46, maybe I'll wanna settle down. Alice has 10, 15 years [of touring] left."
She says she's presently riding a wave of positivity into 2019.
"I could be playing with Alice next year. I could be playing with Pink next year. Or I could be playing my own solo stuff next year. I'm keeping myself open to all possibilities."
Cooper has 17 tour dates announced for this year. You can see them here.
In addition to her various non-Alice Cooper-related projects, last year Strauss became the first woman to get a signature guitar with Ibanez when she unveiled her signature JIVA.
Strauss has been playing lead guitar for Cooper since 2014.
Photo: Getty Images


text:
Early in this generation, those who disliked Sony and had little to no faith in the PlayStation 3, derided the company for losing third-party exclusives. Along with complaints of an exorbitant price and a typically mediocre launch software lineup, this was one of those legitimate complaints that most avid PlayStation followers simply didn't want to acknowledge. It was true: Sony lost Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry, and most recently, Final Fantasy. ...and yet, here we sit, less than two and a half years later, and it seems as if the PS3 has - by far and away - the best and most promising exclusive lineup of software.
Third-party exclusivity is just about dead and buried (even timed exclusivity will soon die out as the gap between the PS3 and 360 continues to narrow), so it really all comes down to first- and second-party projects. Now, we all have to remember that top exclusive titles often are system sellers; it's a matter of simple logic, right? If you want to play Killzone 2, you need a PS3. If you want to play Gears of War 2, you need a Xbox 360. When MGS4 launched, there was a huge PS3 sales spike. When Gears 2 launched, there was a huge 360 sales spike. Therefore, there's no doubt that exclusives will continue to play a very large role in the hardware sales success of both competing companies. And as far as I can tell, Sony may have this one sewn up already:
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- God of War III
- Killzone 2
- LittleBigPlanet
- Resistance: Fall of Man
- Resistance 2
- Warhawk
- Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
- Heavenly Sword
- Folklore
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
- Gran Turismo 5
- InFamous
- Heavy Rain
- Final Fantasy Versus XIII
- MotorStorm
- MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
- White Knight Chronicles
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Wipeout HD
- Flower
And I just took them all off the top of my head; I'm sure there are more.
As far as I can tell, the Xbox 360 has the Gears series and that's about it. There are a few IPs I'm looking forward to this year (like Alan Wake), and I'm picking up Star Ocean: The Last Hope tomorrow, but comparing these to the exclusive lineup on the PS3 seems a little silly. Now, just to clarify, I am not saying the PS3 is the superior machine; this topic only focuses on exclusive titles. Secondly, as I do own a 360, I'd be very interested to learn of more 360 exclusives coming up that look good; I want to play good games. And I kinda like the idea of exclusives. I like the idea that I have to own a particular console to play a certain game; it may sound ridiculous, but it's true to some extent. So if anybody wants to enlighten me as to the 360 exclusives coming up that will act as competition to the PS3's lineup - games mentioned above - I'm all ears. Obviously, raving fanboy rants won't be tolerated and we'll get rid of you super crazy fast.
The point is, I just find it a little ironic that everyone was laughing at how Sony was losing exclusives left and right and two years later, it's crystal clear they now have the significant edge in the exclusive battle.


text:
In This Section
1: You Need a Good Estate Plan2: What is a Good Estate Plan?3: One Size Does Not Fit All4: Minimizing Your Tax Liabilities5: The Basic Planning Tools6: Who Can Help You7: What Are You Waiting For?Sample Bequest LanguageDownload a Sample Codicil Form
Of course you've known all along how important estate planning is, right?
It's probably the most important thing you'll ever do for your personal peace of mind and the well-being of your family.
For more information about any of the creative giving techniques mentioned in these planned giving pages, please contact us.
Consider making a gift through your will or trust.
Here's the language you'll need.
Here's the language you'll need.


text:
Published by Amanda Morehouse
I'm a new mom who isn't just "surviving" motherhood, but "enjoying" motherhood and I'm having a great time documenting my life. I currently am a stay at home mom who takes care of my wonderful son Johnny. Before being a stay at home mom I was an elementary school teacher. Hobbies help to make my life even more interesting. I enjoy DIY projects, nature, photography, helping & teaching others, and just being with family. I can't wait to share these [captured] moments with you. Thank you for visiting my blog! Stay a while and explore! View all posts by Amanda Morehouse


text:
Just take a look at these website, article and white papers and find out more about blended learning
AMA is a global, membership-based association that offers a full range of performance-based learning solutions to individuals, companies and even governments, worldwide.
Read more...
Read more...
Beyond the Talk About Blended Learning
Are you skeptical about blended learning? There has been a lot of talk about blending, and any topic that's on everybody's lips isn't typically on mine...
In a white paper for the American Management Association titled "Blended Learning Opportunities," (download the white paper below) Rebecca Vaughn Frazee and Allison Rossett wrote that blended learning integrates seemingly opposite approaches, such as formal and informal learning, face-to-face and online experiences, directed paths and reliance on self-direction, and digital references and collegial connections, in order to achieve individual and organizational goals.
New White Papers
Effectively Implementing a Blended Learning Approach
Eedo Knowledgeware's white paper presents a comprehensive overview of blended learning, from theoretical framework to best practices, and provides a measured analysis of potential applications. It examines the reasons to adopt a blended learning approach and reviews the tools needed to implement it. An in-depth case study of AMA's blended learning model illustrates the white paper's findings.
Download White Paper (PDF) (You must Sign-Up)
Blended Learning Opportunities
By Allison Rossett and Rebecca Vaughan Frazee, San Diego State University. Noted experts on blended learning, Dr. Allison Rossett and her colleague Rebecca Vaughan Frazee explore the common components of blended learning and how organizations are preparing to best use this new learning method.
Download White Paper (PDF) (You must Sign-Up)
The Department of Education and Training in New South Wales, Australia maintains a website on blended learning, with many "exemplars" on how it works.
Read more...


text:
Boxee, the open source media center that launched a full-frontal assault on our living rooms this past year, has introduced an open store for adding third-party apps and services. Combined with an API for third-party developers, new apps like Pandora and RadioTime, and even a dedicated browser for its cat-and-mouse game with Hulu, Boxee's future looks brighter than ever.
For the uninitiated, Boxee is media center software available for Mac OS X, the Apple TV, and, to lesser extents, Linux and Windows (Linux is a couple versions behind, and Windows is still in private testing). Boxee can play most local types of media, but its appeal is the vast catalog of Web services and video content it can handle, from direct access to networks like CNN, Comedy Central, and CollegeHumor, to support for streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. All of this is wrapped in a well-designed and functional UI that works well on both traditional computers and media boxes like the Apple TV. Soon, Boxee says that the Linux and Windows versions will be brought to feature and development parity with the Mac OS X variant.
New in the ridiculous version number of Boxee 0.9.11.5591 for Mac is the App Box, an iTunes-Store-like application directory to which developers can submit their own apps and services. "Unlike other app stores," Boxee CEO Avner Ronen says in a blog post, "Boxee does not want to be a gate keeper (or bottleneck) in deciding which applications are published." To that effect, Boxee now offers a Python API for developers, who simply need to write their GUIs in XML and add their applications to Boxee's repository. Plus, Boxee's Andrew Kippen told Ars that the company will eventually offer a payment platform for developers to hook into and make money with.
This is a significant push into creating an expandable media center platform for the VC-supported company, which hopes to generate revenue through media partnerships and revenue sharing. Eventually, Kippen told Ars that hardware licensing and partnerships may be on the table. Boxee is already in talks with manufacturers about getting its software into game consoles, Blu-ray players, and just about anything else you can think of. Kippen would not name names, but simply left us to stew over who "pretty much all the big ones" may be.
To help the App Box to hit the ground running, Boxee also introduced two new applications in answer to popular request: Pandora and RadioTime. Both are available in the new version and do exactly what you would expect. Pandora allows users to sign in, stream music, play their QuickMixes and stations, and even create new stations. On the opposite end of this spectrum, RadioTime allows users to stream over 100,000 traditional radio stations with a drop-dead-simple UI.
The final major new feature in this release is a Boxee Browser, which, right now, is targeted primarily at bringing back support for Hulu (again). Boxee has been playing a bit of cat-and-mouse with Hulu, as the jointly owned NBC and FOX venture has made arguably weak attempts at blocking Boxee from accessing its content. While the most recent attempt involved an HTML encoding trick, Boxee has taken the next logical step and simply added a full-fledged browser based on Mozilla's technology. The Boxee Browser also "lays the groundwork" for supporting any video available on the Web.
Kippen told Ars that Boxee has a long road ahead of it. The software is still in alpha, and Kippen says there are a few milestones the company hopes to reach before even entering beta and polishing up the package. Some milestones are no small features, either, such as global search across all of Boxee's included and supported services, home screen customization, and filtering of content that has already been watched. With any of the luck typically required to keep software development timelines on track, you can look for Boxee to approach a shippable 1.0 and even appear on some hardware by the first quarter of 2010.


text:
A couple in northern California found a stash of 1,400 coins buried under a tree on their own property. Fresh and mint, the face value of the coins adds up to around $27,000. But to collectors, individual pieces are worth an upwards of $1 million apiece.
So, who else is going out to buy a metal detector today?
Submitted by:
Unknown (via King 5 News)
Tagged: completely relevant news, free stuff, money, newsShare on Facebook


text:
Free T-Shirt Promotion at SUNY CantonFriday, March 20th, 2009
Students who spend $20 or more in Downtown Canton are eligible for a free T-shirt.
SUNY Canton has joined with the Canton Economic Development Office and St. Lawrence University to promote student exploration of Canton's shops and boutiques.
To get a free T-shirt, students are asked to bring a receipt or receipts totaling more than $20 from any of the participating stores to the Student Activities Office in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center.
Participating retailers include:
· Fashion Kraze
· Sposa Bella
· Dollar General
· Family Dollar
· Hackett's
· Gamer Craze
· The Gallery
· The Pear Tree
· Victory Promotions
· Natures Storehouse
· Coakley's Carpet One ACE Hardware
· Radio Shack
· Rex Hardware
· TAUNY Gallery & North Country Folkstore
· Video Plus II
· Videoliscious
· American Theater
· Whites Flowers
This promotion will run throughout the Spring semester while supplies last.
SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master's degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The college's athletic teams belong to the NAIA's Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.
Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.


text:
Icaros Desktop Light is a CD-ROM size distribution of the AROS desktop operating system, for computers without a DVD drive. Icaros Desktop Light comes on a bootable live CD-ROM which runs directly on your hardware (it must be already supported by AROS). It can be installed on the hard drive and can coexist with Microsoft Windows XP, in a dedicated partition. A quick reference guide and some AROS PDF manuals are included. This version provides all the most important tools of Icaros Desktop Live!, but without some funny - but heavy - parts (like the Eternal Lands client, the adventures emulated by ScummVM and some other media files). To get them, please choose Icaros Desktop Live! instead.
After downloading, please consider donating. Every release of Icaros Desktop requires a lot of time and work, for a hobbyst project. Donations will be spent to enhance Icaros Desktop and to contribute to AROS bounties.
Version: release 1.2
Requirements: a x86-based computer with 500 MHz CPU; 256 MB system RAM; any PCI or AGP video card; fast CD-ROM drive; 1 GB to 124 GB of free space on a EIDE hard drive (SATA support is limited); PS/2 mouse and keyboards recommended; Recommended: a powerful processor, 512 MB of system RAM, an AROS compatible network and audio card. Please read the quick guide for references before installing.
Webmasters: please use this link to provide the right download location: http://light.icarosdesktop.org.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
About Icaros Destop Light
Posted by Paolo Besser at Wednesday, December 09, 2009


text:
What Proponents Of The Regnerus Study Are Actually Saying About Gay People
Anti-gay groups and LGBT activists alike have spent the past few days arguing over a new study which allegedly finds that children of gay parents are worse off than the children of married, heterosexual parents. The study – conducted by associate sociology professor Mark Regnerus – has been the subject of intense criticism because of its deeply flawed methodology and misleading conclusions.
Lost in the debate, however, has been a discussion of what proponents of the study are actually suggesting about same-sex parents. If the study is correct, what do anti-gay activists believe it proves about gay people in general?
One of the study's most disturbing findings is that children with gay parents reported significantly higher rates of sexual abuse – including rape – by parents or adult figures as kids than children raised by married, heterosexual parents. It's unclear why rates of abuse differ between the two groups, but anti-gay activists have touted the finding as evidence of the long-disproven "gays are pedophiles" myth.
American Family Association (AFA) spokesman Bryan Fischer cited the study as evidence that allowing gay couples to adopt is "a form of sexual abuse." Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) referenced the study while arguing "you're more likely basically to get molested in a household led by two lesbians."
The claim that gays and lesbians are more likely to molest children than heterosexuals is one of the oldest and most damaging myths about homosexuality in American politics. It's the kind of homophobic propaganda that usually distinguishes typical anti-gay organizations from actual anti-gay hate groups. It's not all that surprising, then, that groups like AFA and AFTAH are so eager to promote the Regnerus study.
What's disturbing about the reaction to the study, though, is how widely it's been embraced by "moderate" anti-gay activists and organizations that have typically shied away from this kind of rhetoric. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has offered its enthusiastic endorsement of the study, as have Fox News' Dr. Keith Ablow, National Review Online's Ed Whelan, Focus on the Family, the New Jersey Family Policy Council, and others.
The biggest problem with Regenerus' study isn't just that it's junk science – it's that it gives mainstream conservatives a license to promote one of the most extreme anti-gay smears imaginable under the guise of advancing legitimate scientific inquiry.
When all is said and done, Regnerus' study won't end up providing any useful information about the impact of same-sex parenting. It will, however, reveal volumes about those who are so aggressively championing it.


text:
In looking at the ranking of the world's 20 best countries for women, as measured annually by the World Economic Forum, one nation seems glaringly absent. Here's an obvious hint: it bleeds red, white and blue.
Look below Nicaragua and South Africa and the Philippines, below Lesotho, Latvia and Cuba, and you'll find America at No. 22 on the list of 135 nations the WEF says are closing the gender gap around the world.
What's even more concerning that we fall behind much smaller and economically weaker nations in three out of four major metrics (health and wellness, educational attainment, political empowerment and economic participation)? The fact that the U.S. has actually fallen in the rankings over the past three years.
The Global Gender Gap Index has been used since 2006 as a tool to capture gender-based disparities and track their progress on a country-by-country and global scale. By measuring national gender gaps in economic, political, health and educational metrics, the ranking allows for fair comparisons of nations from varying regions and income groups—but more importantly, how those nations have changed in recent years. The goal of the WEF's annual efforts? To put global gender disparity on display, in hopes that public awareness and pressure narrows them over time.
The full report can be found on the World Economic Forum's website.
The United States, where just over 3%% of major CEOs are women and the gender pay gap hovers around 70 cents on the dollar, ranks at No. 22, down from 17 in 2011 and 19 in 2010. "The U.S. has dropped," says the WEF's Saadia Zahidi, one of the report's co-authors and Head of Gender Parity and Human Capital at the Forum, "But because the countries at the top are really bunched together, very small deteriorations can affect rankings. For example the U.S. has seen a slight deterioration in women in political decision-making this year, which has caused other nations to jump ahead." The United States currently ranks at No. 55 in political empowerment, No. 33 in health and survival rates, No. 8 in economic participation and opportunity, and No. 1 in educational attainment for women.
Overall, 85 out of the 135 nations measured have improved their economic equality between 2011 and 2012 but Zahidi notes that while this shows encouraging signs that the global gender gap is closing, it's moving at a glacial pace. When combined, the nations measured represent more than 90% of the world's population—and numbers show that almost 96% of the gap in health outcomes (life expectancy and sex ratio at birth) have been closed for women as well as 93% of the gap in educational attainment. However, the disparity between men and women in economic participation and political empowerment remains wide: only 60% of the economic empowerment and just 20% of the political participation gender gap have been closed.
But there is some good news, Zahidi says. Europe continues to top the rankings with Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden having closed their gender gaps by over 80%. "And there are definitely countries that are making very fast progress," she says. "Nine countries have improved by more than nine percentage points, and it's positive to note that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the fastest-changing." Still, when you look at the world as a whole, about 75% of the countries have made less than 5% progress in the past twelve months.
"It continues to be interesting to me that the Nordic countries have consistently been in the top 10," says Zahidi, particularly as their economies have struggled in recent years. "But the reason this occurs is because they've completely closed the gaps in health and education--but the region continues to be No. 1 in political empowerment and economic participation as well."
Very low salary gap, high numbers of women in the labor force, and leadership positions--whether enforced by a quota system or done voluntarily, has made all the difference, she says. "But possibly more important are childcare and taxation policies that have made it possible for both women and men to combine work and family."


text:
Compatibility of YouNetCo apps on phpFox v4.6.1
April 12, 2018
As walking around on our products with v4.6.1, most of our products are working well on v4.6.1 so you can consider to upgrade your site to phpFox v4.6.1 at present period but in our advice prior to this work, take a bit your time to backup source code and database.
Welcome to YouNet Knowledge Base system
February 2, 2018
Welcome to YouNet Knowledge Base system. In this system, you can find answers for frequently asked questions of YouNet Add-ons. You can also find out how to install your purchased plugins. We will keep posting new user guide articles here.
Latest Articles
Most Viewed Articles
- Advanced Event layout is not working like your demo site after upgrading
- I want to show up like your demo site with Business Directory menu
- How to fix main menu bar when scrolling
- How to hide Advanced Menu System on non users
- How to limit tabs on Main menu bar
- Can I adjust Mini menu styles?
- Some menus do not appear on main menu bar after installation
- Why layout is not applied when changing Main Menu Style
- Distinguish of Main Menu Styles
- The difference of Site Logo in Advanced Menu System and in theme management page
Installation & Upgrade Guide for YouNet Advanced Notification System App on phpFox Store
Posted on February 9, 2018 - in Advanced Notification System


text:
Blessingsonthenet.com features 6000 hotel located in all major tourist and commercial destinations of India with online hotel booking option. Blessingsonthenet provides traveller to find and choose from hotel by category , hotel by interest ,budget hotel, hotel near popular temple, hotel by brand or group hotel , Boutique hotel, heritage hotel, luxury hotel, houseboats, Business hotel, weekend getawy hotel, hill station hotel, honeymoon hotel,premium hotel, conference hotel and more.
Java Rain Resort, Survey no 618, Mullayanagiri Rd (Next to NMDC), Chikamagalur
The original coffee hills of India now has a new destination for a luxury holiday - Java Rain luxury resort in Chikmagalur. Nestled along the Mullayangiri hills, in the thick of an active coffee plantation,
JJ Resort
Shamshi, Distt. Kullu-175126
JJ Resort is located on the Bhuntar-Kullu road, just a five minute drive to Bhuntar airport. by air or road. Ideally located in the most charming and beautiful Kullu valley that spreads out its charm on either side of the river Beas.
Jiva Resort Saitsohpen, Near Kutmadan,
Jiva Resort is a luxurious holiday resort in Cherrapunjee (Sohra), Meghalaya. Cherrapunjee can rightfully claim to be the real abode of clouds. Once known as the rainiest place on earth,
JP Resorts, Kutch
college Road,
Nakhatrana Kutch
JP Resorts, Kutch, is in a class of its own. Situated in a quiet and peaceful setting, the resorts forms the perfect holiday retreat for all its guests. Blossoms Village Resort is surrounded with a very traditional and cultured neighborhood.
Joys Resort,
Chinnakanal, Munnar, Kerala 685618
Joys resorts, Munnar is characteristically designed to offer you a unique experience in the most sought after tourist destination in Kerala.
Jungle Livinn Camps and Retreat is a resort located at Chail (Himachal Pradesh, India), a quaint hill station (7000 ft) at 43 kms from Shimla and 120 kms from Chandigarh (380 kms from Delhi).
jüSTa Nathdwara, Rajasthan
Haldi Ghati Road,
Justa Nathdwara Resort newest property, Justa Nathdwara; a resort situated in Rajasthan's holiest place. The hotel is close to the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara. Spread over an area of five acres,
Jharipani Castle is a Tent Resort located at Jharipani which is 7 kms from Mussoorie (Uttaranchal, India) overlooking the Doon valley.
Need to Book a Hotel?
+91 8452040404
Your enquiry has been submitted. We will get back to you shortly.


text:
8 Questions to Ask Before Implementing Cloud Storage
8 Questions to Ask Before Implementing Cloud Storage
Having a disaster recovery plan and/or product in place doesn't guarantee your data is protected in the event of a disruption–you must also verify that it was implemented, configured, and performs properly.
This e-guide underscores the importance of DR testing, no matter what type of strategy or solution your business is using. Read on to explore specific considerations for leveraging cloud-based services either for data protection, collaboration or primary storage purposes.


text: \n\n\nShutterstock has launched a new subscription service called Skillfeed designed to connect professionals who need to learn how to use their computers with creative types who want to make videos that do the teaching.\n\nWith the $19-per-month service, subscribers can watch as many videos as they want, either longer-form courses or shorter "snacks" good for smaller periods of free time, said David Fraga, Skillfeed's general manager. And content contributors get paid: Shutterstock keeps 70 percent of the proceeds, but the rest is divided among all contributors based on what fraction their videos were of the total time watched.\n\nOnline education is quite a departure for the New York-based company, whose core business is selling stock-art photos to ad agencies, brochure designers, and others who need to drop graphics into their work. Shutterstock is one of the large "microstocks" that revolutionized stock-art purchasing by combining a global photographer talent pool with Internet sales to yield significantly lower licensing costs for customers. \n\n\n\n\n\nBut fundamentally, the move isn't totally alien. For one thing, it's still connecting creative types with buyers across the globe.\n\n"We wanted to create another high-volume marketplace, to take what we learned from Shutterstock and create something else that had the same sort of network effect," where it works better the more people join, said Shutterstock founder and Chief Executive Jon Oringer. Shutterstock has lots of experience knowing "how make two sides of a marketplace happy," so buyers and sellers both are satisfied, he said.\n\nAlthough Skillfeed has been live for a couple months, Shutterstock hasn't publicized it until now. Initially, the company hopes to get the attention those with whom it already has a relationship -- photographers or videographers hoping to learn new methods, or stock-art buyers wanting new design approaches.\n\nIt remains to be seen whether Shutterstock will be able to spin Skillfeed into a positive feedback loop of contributors and subscribers. It certainly isn't alone in the market for instructional videos, which the tech industry long before streaming video on the Internet made it so much more feasible. YouTube has countless tutorials available for free, albeit with varying quality.\n\nIt's not even the first subscription service, though one clear rival, Lynda.com, charges $25 a month for its service.\n\nSkillfeed also will have some work to do signing up contributors from the existing pool. For example, George Jardine, who sells Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom instructional videos and runs training workshops, didn't seem interested.\n\n"The vast majority of people looking for video instruction are looking for a fast-food lunch. Something that fills their tummy very cheaply, doesn't cost much, and most importantly, doesn't take much of their precious time," he said. "I cater to an entirely different audience, with an entirely different approach. My videos are for the thinking photographer, who is devoted to spending the time and brain power to dig into their subject and truly understand it."\n\n\n \n\n\nShutterstock thinks Skillfeed as worth the money, though, especially compared to the cost of books or in-person workshops. And although it fended off repeated questions about how big it thinks the business could become, the company clearly doesn't see it as a small niche.\n\n"Technology changes quickly, and to understand most recent software and techniques, you have to be current," Fraga said. "This is something that applies to tens of millions of people around the world."\n\nAnd Oringer, who watched the professional photography business expand dramatically with the arrival of countless part-time stock-art photographers, thinks there's room for a lot more instructional video creators. "There are plenty of people out there with a screen-scraper who'll teach somebody how to do something," he said.\n\nSkillfeed will try to show the good videos, initially judged by popularity. The company also plans to add forums. "We see that kind of interactivity in the future," Fraga said.\n\nTo start with, Skillfeed's content skews toward the photo and design world, where Adobe's Creative Suite (and perhaps tomorrow its ) is king of the mountain. But it's going after a much broader market -- people learning new programming languages, architects learning AutoCAD, number crunching with Excel spreadsheets, or search engine optimization, for example.\n\n"The point is people are looking to be self-taught and are looking to the Web to retool their skills -- not just creative skills but any skills that help you be a digital professional, the things that help you be successful in your career," Fraga said.\n\n


text:
A Taiwanese man is recovering in hospital after a snake sank its fangs into his todger as he sat down on the toilet at his rural home, Reuters reports.
The unnamed 51-year-old Nantou County victim suffered "minor injuries" to his wedding tackle during the attack. The China Times explains: "As soon as he sat down, he suddenly felt a knife-like pain and reacted instinctively by standing up. When he looked down, he saw the big snake."*
The reptile in question - apparently a black and yellow species of rat snake - was later shown on local TV "being uncoiled and plucked slowly from the toilet bowl".
Reuters helpfully notes that slippery customers "regularly enter rural homes in Taiwan and other sub-tropical regions of Asia". Mercifully for the victim in this case, rat snakes (genus Elaphe) are non-venomous, but will "strike from an upreared position" if threatened, as Encyclopædia Britannica explains.
Of course, there are still health risks attached to having a rat snake chew on your trouser snake. The director of the hospital treating the unfortunate chap said: "As soon as he has passed the risk of infection, he can go. A snake's mouth isn't always clean." ®
*We resisted it, and so can you. The first person to make the "When he looked down, he saw the big snake... and then he saw the reptile too" gag will be banned from El Reg for a month.


text:
Perfect Game, Imperfect Rest Of Career
With Mark Buehrle's loss Monday, and Dallas Braden getting scratched from his start last night, the combined record since their achievements of the three active pitchers to have tossed Perfect Games has dropped to 8 wins and 18 losses.
Jim Hunter Before: 32-38, .457Jim Hunter After: 191-128, .599Jim Hunter Improvement: 142Sandy Koufax Before: 133-77, .633Sandy Koufax After: 31-10, .756Sandy Koufax Improvement: 123
Koufax is a bit of an aberration, since that 31-10 record, gaudy as it seems, represents only one season plus about a month, before his retirement in November, 1966.
David Wells Before: 110-86, .561David Wells After: 128-71, .643David Wells Improvement: 82Don Larsen Before: 30-40, .429Don Larsen After: 51-51, .500Don Larsen Improvement: 71Mike Witt Before: 37-40, .481Mike Witt After: 79-76, .510Mike Witt Improvement: 29Dennis Martinez Before: 173-140, .553Dennis Martinez After: 71-53, .573Dennis Martinez Improvement: 20
For everybody else, the Perfect Game has meant comparative disaster. We can again discern some unrelated factors: many pitchers threw their masterpieces late in their careers (Cone), late in life (Joss died about 30 months after he threw his), or not long before injuries (Robertson and Ward, the latter of whom would switch positions and become a Hall of Fame shortstop).
Dallas Braden Before: 17-23, .425Dallas Braden After: 0-5, .000Dallas Braden Dropoff: 425David Cone Before: 177-97, .646David Cone After: 16-29, .356David Cone Dropoff: 290Lee Richmond Before: 14-7, .667Lee Richmond After: 61-93, .396Lee Richmond Dropoff: 271Roy Halladay Before: 154-79, .661Roy Halladay After: 2-3, .400Roy Halladay Dropoff: 261Mark Buehrle Before: 132-90, .595Mark Buehrle After: 6-10, .375Mark Buehrle Dropoff: 220Jim Bunning Before: 143-89, .616Jim Bunning After: 80-95, .457Jim Bunning Dropoff: 159Len Barker Before: 33-25, .569Len Barker After: 40-51, .440Len Barker Dropoff: 129Charlie Robertson Before: 1-1 .500Charlie Robertson After: 47-79, .373Charlie Robertson Dropoff: 127Addie Joss Before: 140-79, .639Addie Joss After: 19-18, .514Addie Joss Dropoff: 125Cy Young Before: 382-216, .639Cy Young After: 128-116, .525Cy Young Dropoff: 114Randy Johnson Before: 233-118, .664Randy Johnson After: 69-48, .590Randy Johnson Dropoff: 74Johnny Ward Before: 80-43, .650Johnny Ward After: 81-60, .574Johnny Ward Dropoff: 46Tom Browning Before: 60-40, .600Tom Browning After: 62-50, .554Tom Browning Dropoff: 46Kenny Rogers Before: 52-36, .591Kenny Rogers After: 166-120, .580Kenny Rogers Dropoff: 9
Rogers' fall off is not even what the typical decline of a pitcher would suggest, and Browning's and Ward's aren't very spectacular. Then again, neither are the improvements of Witt or Martinez.
13 Comments
a big factor in today's game is that to throw a perfect game or no-hitter, you have to go well over 100 pitches, and most pitchers aren't used to that kind of workload.
it can throw their bodies off for the next few starts and even the rest of the season.
This is just pure speculation on my part but maybe these anomalies are as a result of psychological factors. Often big power hitters are expected by fans to hit home runs in every game. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have high expectations to live up to and the pressure can be intense. Perhaps this same pressure is what creates the downturn in performance of many of these pitchers. I guess what I am saying is that once a perfect game is thrown by a pitcher, psychologically he feels he must live up to expectations that are unrealistic. Therefore they try too hard to repeat that outstanding performance and come up short. The pressure thus creates a mindset by the pitcher that interferes with his ability to focus on pitching a quality game
But what do I know? In the spirit of Dr. McCoy, 'I'm a lawyer not a shrink"
I think it'd be foolish to bet against the rebounding of Mark Buehrle, let alone the good Doctor in Philadelphia.
Fascinating stuff, Keith. Going pitcher by pitcher– Jim Bunning might have been used so heavily by Gene Mauch in September of 1964 that that ruined his arm (his lack of brain and heart may have come later on). David Cone, who also threw a perfect game at Conedlestick Park when was a kid, was really on the tail-end of his gutsy career and that was truly just a magical day at Yankee Stadium. 1998 as a whole was an anomaly for David Wells who never dominated quite like that again. Kenny Rogers had a loser mentality, like when he walked in the game-winning/series-winning run in the playoffs (the ultimate sin), so I think the smudge of his inner-loserism (Freudian term) caught up with him. Randy Johnson was pitching for big money in 2004 and it had finally all come together– control, velocity, nastiness– but by 2005 he was an old man, with a big contract. I'm assuming this fella Cy Young never actually existed because his numbers are more suspect than Barry Bonds's– maybe after the perfect game he switched from throwing a softer sponge to throwing a firmer sponge, either way I don't care about Cy Young. Let's see how Dallas Braden does against the Yankees next week– maybe A-Rod needs walk on *his* mound to get him fired up again. And, finally, Roy Halladay– too early to tell, but as for that award named after the fictional Cy Young that Roy was given before the 2010 season started, I still say Doc will be hurt and will be needing to see a doc and the Cy Young will go to, not Ubaldo Jimenez, but Adam Wainwright (pitching for a big contract).
This could really be expanded into a pitcher's performance after a no hitter (but not a perfect game). Take Ted Lilly for example. Against the Sox two weeks ago, he went 8 no-hit innings. His next start? He was chased from the game after 4. This backs the psychology of the pitcher. They know they can and want to match that previous performance, but cannot, because as Bob Brenly said in that second Lilly outing: "They think too hard to get back in that zone, and sometimes, that's just not possible."
And I know this is your sports blog, but what was the High Court thinking? Didn't they see that 2 weekends ago, 50 people were shot in a 48 hour period in Chicago?
Interesting data. Found it very interesting how close Hunter's and Braden's pre-perfecto records were — not that I expect a repeat of Hunter's career from Braden.
I can see the psychological aspect of it, but part of me has a hard time believing that veterans like Buehrle and Halladay would let that affect them. Maybe Buehrle is like Cone and on the downside.
"Jim Bunning Dropoff" is just begging for a snarky comment. I will refrain however because it would be censored.
Timing has much to do with a perfect game. Time of day, time when you play the opponent, time in the schedule and certainly the point in time of the pitcher's career. The lack of acknowledgment of luck in no hitters and perfect games is always glossed over. All the pitchers above had some talent; list the number of pitchers on that list that did not appear on an All Star team or in the post season. It's a short list.
Though interesting, there doesn't seem to be any measure in the shown data that offers a conclusion about anything.
Nolan Ryan, oft noted as "unlucky" while defending his won-loss record thus had seven lucky starts and 770 or so unlucky ones?
Don't forget that Don Larsen had that abysmal 3-21 season for the Baltimore Orioles team that lost 100 games in 1954 after moving from St. Louis. That throws his stats a bit out of whack.
I also found it fascinating that some scout was quoted in Jane Leavy's wonderful biography of Sandy Koufax as saying that his dropoff from 1965 to 1966 was significant and he wouldn't have been that good afterward. Uh, 27-9 in 1966, with an ERA of 1.73. Quite a dropoff from 1965.
We also could note that in 1972, Milt Pappas missed a perfect game on a 3-2 pitch that he has blamed Bruce Froemming for ever since. Whether or not Pappas was worse as a pitcher, the pitch has gotten closer to the plate with each passing year.
Keith! Don't forget to remind us when Ken Burns' ?The Tenth Inning? will be airing. Having recently sat through the entire 18-1/2 hours of Burns' ?Baseball? (missed big parts of it the first time around), I'm really looking forward to the coming follow-up. I'm not an avid baseball fan like the rest of you guys, but I'm giving it the ol' college try. Mostly, I'm a fan of your writing, Keith, and enjoy your blog for that reason.
I was very skeptical going in that ?Baseball? would hold my interest. Very skeptical.But I'm such a big fan of Ken Burns' work, that if he was to do an 18-1/2 hour documentary on the life cycle of moths, I would gladly watch it. Happily, I enjoyed every minute of ?Baseball.? The history was fascinating, and as an unapologetic clothes horse, I even enjoyed the evolution of the baseball uniforms. I was kinda sad when it ended and glad I had watched it by myself, so that no one could see me get misty-eyed.
So, I'm really looking forward to ?The Tenth Inning.? And, no, I'm not being facetious or sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek. Serious as a heart attack.
Style note: How come you never wear a pink or yellow tie? Those colors would look so good on you, Keith, and a nice addition to the snazzy lavenders and purples! 🙂
There might be something psychological about this — of all the guys who threw perfect games, only Cy Young and Addie Joss threw another no-hitter afterwards. Bunning, Koufax and Randy Johnson each capped off their multiple no-hit careers with a perfect game, which does have the feel of an exclamation point. I wonder how many of the players with four-homer games ever eventually followed up with a three-homer game…
Eventual Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews up with one on and no outs. Mathews gives himself up for the team and sacrifices Mantilla to second with a bunt.


text:
GAZA CITY – A Gaza park was attacked Monday, killing at least 10 Palestinians, including children, a Palestinian health official said.
Children were playing on a swing when the strike hit the park in the Shati refugee camp on the edge of Gaza City, said Ayman Sahabani, head of the emergency room at nearby Shifa Hospital.
He gave the death toll and said 46 people also were wounded.
The strike on the park occurred a few minutes after the hospital's outpatient clinic was hit, leaving several people wounded. Camera crews were prevented from filming the area of impact at Shifa.
Gaza's police operations room, Civil Defense and Sahabani said the deaths and injuries were caused by Israeli airstrikes.
The strikes occurred on a day of heavy fighting after a temporary humanitarian cease-fire as international efforts intensified to end the three-week war between Israel and Hamas militants.
Israeli jets struck several sites in Gaza and rockets continued to fall on Israel, the Israeli military said, disrupting a relative lull in the Gaza war at the start of a major Muslim holiday.
The United Nations on Monday called for an "immediate" cease-fire in the fighting that has already killed over 1,040 Palestinians, 43 Israeli soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side. On Sunday, President Barak Obama telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push for an immediate end to the conflict.


text:
Prioritized list of controls doesn't replace FISMA guidance
The information technology security controls recently released as the Consensus Audit Guidelines are not intended to replace guidance for complying with federal IT security requirements. But they could complement those efforts by supplying a prioritized baseline of controls.
"We included many of the same control elements addressed in the CAG initiative," said Ron Ross, a senior computer scientist at NIST.
NIST recently released for review its first major update of the guidelines, Special Publication 800-53, titled "Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations." When the public review for SP 800-53 ends March 27, the two documents could be more closely aligned.
"Hopefully, we will be able to cover many of the things that CAG has done," Ross said.
He does not see the two sets of guidelines as being in competition with one another, but he warned that focusing on a small subset of threats, vulnerabilities and controls could make managers miss fundamental weaknesses in information systems.
"Security managers need to take a holistic approach to a challenging set of problems," he said. "The controls work as an interlocking set."
CAG does not try to offer a comprehensive set of security controls but instead is an attempt to prioritize concerns and identify tools that can provide the best returns by focusing on critical issues and low-hanging fruit. CAG cites proposed FISMA reform legislation that calls for a prioritized baseline of IT security controls that can be continuously and automatically monitored.
"This consensus document is designed to begin the process of establishing that prioritized baseline of information security measures and controls," the guidelines state. "The consensus effort that has produced this document has identified 20 specific security controls that are viewed as essential for blocking known high-priority attacks. Fifteen of these controls can be monitored, at least in part, automatically and continuously. The consensus effort has also identified a second set of five controls that are essential but that do not appear to be able to be monitored continuously or automatically with current technology and practices."
However, FISMA already provides for meaningful security controls, Ross said. Since the law's passage, NIST has developed a library of standards, specifications and guidance for complying with FISMA and standardizing and improving security.
"There continues to be a notion that FISMA is all about paperwork and compliance," he said. "FISMA is about trying to improve the quality of information security. SP 800-53 is all about specific controls with detailed guidance."
Although he is wary of agencies focusing too narrowly when implementing security controls, Ross said CAG could be a valuable resource. "We appreciate the contribution this group is making," he said. "We're going to be looking to see if anything that comes out of this we can benefit from. We're looking for any possible way to improve what we've done."
The CAG team is seeking comments on its guidelines, which should be sent to [email protected] by March 25.
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
Advanced Search
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.


text:
Star and Snowflake Paper Lanterns
Luna Bazaar's traditional and multi-pointed star lanterns can transform a room into an elegant setting. Our pizzelles and stars are truly unique. Featuring beautiful designs in various shapes and colors. When they're illuminated, their cutouts produce dazzling patterns on the walls of your home or venue. Featuring a wide variety of solid colored stars, snowflake star lanterns, glossy metallic star lanterns and patterned star lanterns. With these beautiful paper star lanterns, you'll really impress all your guests. Stars can be lit using one of our light cord sockets or a battery operated LED. Just add a hook where you'd like to hang your paper star lantern and let them shine.